3 October 2012

Autumn is bombarding all of our senses. The bright kaleidoscope of autumn leaves, the nip in the air, the sound of flocks of geese moving on. You can feel the changes at night. As the sun sets, a cool blanket of air gently rolls down the hill. And that, if combined with steady rains, means we are into the autumn mushroom season. As I walk through the woods I see clusters of mushrooms. Not being an expert forager I would never take the chance and gather my own, so for now am content to leave this to the experts. Chanterelles, hen of the woods (maitake), and porcini tasting like meat from the earth are complex, rich, and woodsy and can be found in markets everywhere this time of year.

With the onset of autumn our thoughts move quickly over to comfort foods. It is not uncommon in fall or winter for my home to be filled with warm, fragrant and earthy aromas of a slow cooked roast or a bubbling crock pot. Mushrooms often play a starring role.With thoughts of cozy fires and warm blankets this brings us to to another edition of the Cooking Light Virtual Supper Club where each month we create a menu from the pages of Cooking Light magazine. If you would like to join us for one month throughout the year just send us a note and we will give you your choice of months to join in. This month we are extolling the virtues of mushrooms and Foraging in The Kitchen For Mushrooms a theme chosen by yours truly this time around. Let's see what our members have brought to the table to celebrate!!! We are up to something special.Sandi
of The Whistestop Café Cooking started us off with an appetizer ofCreamy Corn Chorizo StuffedMushrooms. This recipe extols the virtues of seasonal ingredients.

I brought along the piece de resistance with Cabernet-Balsamic Burgers with Sautéed Mushrooms and Onions, There's something very satisfying about making burgers from scratch in your own kitchen from start to finish. A touch of blue cheese, earthy mushrooms and caramelized onions add to the feeling.

Coarsely chop 1 cup onion mixture, and stir chopped onion mixture into beef. Divide the beef mixture into 6 equal portions, gently shaping each into a 1-inch-thick patty. Press a nickel-sized indentation in center of each patty. Sprinkle the patties with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Place patties on a grill rack coated with cooking spray, and grill for 4 minutes on each side or until done.

Combine mayonnaise, blue cheese, and garlic in a bowl, and mash well with a fork. Spread the top halves of buns evenly with mayonnaise mixture. Arrange 1/4 cup arugula on bottom half of each bun; top each bottom half of bun with 1 patty, about 2 tablespoons remaining onion mixture, about 1/4 cup mushrooms, and top half of bun.

You are reading this post on More Than Burnt Toast at http://morethanburnttoast.blogspot.com. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author and or owner of More Than Burnt Toast. All rights reserved by Valerie Harrison.

This is truly a wonderful burger! I am a real fan of the woody heavier flavoured mushrooms ... adding them to a good burger is just brilliant! I'd love to join the supper club, Val! Are you still taking joiners?

Living in BC there are mushroom foragers who sell wild mushrooms to some of our local mom and pop type grocers. These days wild mushrooms like chanterelles and porcini can also be cultivated so the are available.

Living in BC there are mushroom foragers who sell wild mushrooms to some of our local mom and pop type grocers. These days wild mushrooms like chanterelles and porcini can also be cultivated so the are available.

I'm a mushroom forager from way back...but mostly in the spring, for morels. It was something we did every year in Michigan as morels seem to grown in the same places every year. What a delectable recipe, Val. Anything with mushrooms is on my list!

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My blog More Than Burnt Toast has been my passion for almost 9 years and has evolved with me over time as I have gained confidence in the kitchen. Follow my travels through Italy and Greece one recipe at a time, upcoming cooking classes at local Okanagan wineries and restaurants, as well as daily experimentation in my own kitchen. Every day we should be excited about what we are eating even if it just means making use of a wonderful find at our local farmers market. I look forward to getting to know you.